First Look At Sam Worthington In ‘Man On A Ledge’

Those that have been harboring doubts that Man On A Ledge – which, it’s safe to say, bears no relationship to Hobo With A Shotgun – would not involve, well, a guy (Sam Worthington) standing up high on a ledge, the first official image from the film will ease your concerns.

Man On A Ledge is an action-thriller that is being directed by Asger Leth (Ghosts of Cite Soleil), produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura (the Transformers movies), and features several members of the technical crew that was responsible for Red – so it certainly has some talent involved behind the camera.

Avatar‘s leading man, Worthington, will star in Man On A Ledge as an ex-cop and fugitive from justice who takes refuge on the (what else) ledge of a high-rise New York building. Elizabeth Banks – who will show off her action chops in this month’s The Next Three Days – plays a hostage negotiator who tries to talk Worthington’s character down, but realizes – gasp! – the man may have an ulterior motive for his actions.

The Man On A Ledge cast will be rounded-out by the likes of Anthony Mackie (The Hurt Locker), who plays Worthington’s loyal friend; Jamie Bell (Tintin) as Worthington’s younger brother, who also believes that his sibling has been falsely accused; and Ed Harris (The Way Back) as a businessman who is somehow involved with Worthington’s current situation.

Check out Worthington as he puts his fear of heights to the test in the Man On A Ledge image below:

While the Man On A Ledge cast is pretty credible, the plot of the film sounds rather cliché. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t hope for the movie or that it won’t be well acted and/or directed, but Man On A Ledge will have to work hard in order to avoid feeling formulaic.

There’s also the issue of Worthington, whose leading turns in James Cameron’s 3D sci-fi epic or the Clash of the Titans remake did not exactly leave moviegoers impressed. He won’t have to carry the bulk of Man On A Ledge on his own, but Worthington will have to play a man that is both empathetic and yet still seems like a potential threat. We’ll have to wait and see if he can deliver just that.

Principal photography has begun on Man On A Ledge, which will likely reach theaters in the second half of 2011.